Bathing with the Dinosaurs

The Earth uses the same water over and over—our shower water could contain molecules that Neanderthals drank!

Although water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface, water is actually a rare substance that represents just 0.05 percent of the Earth's total mass. And freshwater is even more precious. In fact, if all the world's water were poured into a gallon jug, the freshwater available for us to use would equal only about one tablespoon.

And, while there is enough freshwater to meet the world’s current needs, it’s not always available where and when it's needed.

For example, when someone waters the lawn, some will seep into the ground and work its way back into the supply and some will evaporate into the atmosphere. So it all goes back into the supply or creates clouds and rain, right? Yes—however, it can take years, even decades for water to get to a groundwater source and as the population continues to increase, these sources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished. And those clouds? They can form several states away (if it always rained exactly where water evaporated, it would be constantly raining over the ocean). Still not convinced? According to the Huffington Post, Americans today are using more than twice as much water as they did in 1950. Ensuring water access for future generations means we have to be smart with our water usage of today.

Reducing the amount of water we use is one of the easiest solutions to the water conservation problem. If every household in America installed a water-efficient faucet, the U.S. could save 60 billion gallons of water annually.

Some quick facts:

The average family of 4 uses 400 gallons of water a day.

Over half of all water use inside a home takes place in the bathroom

The average home can use 30 percent less water and save $170 a year by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances.

Using WaterSense labeled faucets alone could reduce faucet water use by more than 500 gallons per year in a single household.

For more information on WaterSense and WaterSense labeled faucets and showers, visit: